By purchasing commemorative coins, people can support the renovation of the Château in Pardubice

Pardubice - By purchasing commemorative coins, people can support the repair of the Larisch Villa in Pardubice, also known as Zámeček. The set of six coins commemorates key events of the Heydrich era, stated the regional government in a press release. The villa is one of the significant symbols of the Czechoslovak resistance. In 1942, during the Heydrich era, Germans imprisoned, interrogated, and executed residents of the village of Ležáky at the nearby execution site.

The coins were issued on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Heydrich era by the Pardubice region in cooperation with the Czechoslovak Legionary Community and the Lidice Memorial. The limited edition consists of 200 sets, which can also be purchased by interested members of the public for 1,100 crowns. All proceeds from the sale of the coins will be used by the legionaries for the repair of the Larisch Villa.

"This year we commemorated the 80 years since the Heydrich era, which is undoubtedly one of the saddest periods in our modern history. The coins are dedicated to the parachute jumps of the Silver A, Silver B, and Anthropoid groups, the assassination of the acting Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich, the burning of Lidice, the battles in the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius on Resslova Street in Prague, the burning of Ležáky, and finally the executions at the Zámeček in Pardubice," stated governor Martin Netolický (3PK/ČSSD).

The set of coins will be available for purchase through the e-shop of the East Bohemian Museum in Pardubice or directly at the museum's ticket office. By prior arrangement, they will also be available from the manager of the Larisch Villa and the chairman of the Chrudim branch of the Czechoslovak Legionary Community, František Bobek, at the email: [email protected]. The actual sale will begin on Thursday, December 15.

The villa was built in 1885 for Jiří Larisch-Mönich, a descendant of a coal baron family. It later changed owners frequently. During the German occupation, the villa was owned by a police regiment from Kolín. After the war, the villa served as a school for officer cadets, and from 1956 it belonged to the company Tesla, which had offices and warehouses there. In 2000, the industrial complex, along with the dilapidated villa, was purchased by Foxconn.

The Zámeček Association aimed to save the villa, which was falling into disrepair. It was established in 2011. Its representatives negotiated with the city to purchase the building. They did not reach a specific agreement. At that time, politicians considered establishing a museum of the Heydrich era under the arcade on Mírová street. The association then approached legionaries, who later became the owners of the villa; at the end of 2014, Foxconn transferred the abandoned and dilapidated building to the Czechoslovak Legionary Community free of charge. Since 2015, with the help of grants, the legionaries have invested around 50 million crowns in repairs.